Au Pear - Restaurant & Cafe

I love walking, and I love eating good food. The more I eat, the more I need to walk, so I plan to walk all around the world, eating good food, at nice places. It's a worthwhile quest and I'd love you to follow at www.walkeatshare.wordpress.com

Published June 23rd 2016

The perfect place to head to after a walk around Willunga

There are some delightful walking trails around the township of Willunga and some very inviting cafes and restaurants to drop into for lunch after a walk.

I had heard good reports about 'Au Pear', a French inspired eatery, on the main road, not far from the High Street. After completing one of the walking trails recently, a friend and I went along to reward ourselves with lunch and enquire about the origin of the name 'Au Pear'.

We introduced ourselves to the owner, Muff, who said she had chosen to name her restaurant after the Ornamental Pear trees near the terrace. She is training the trees to form a canopy so that those guests who prefer an al-fresco lunch experience can enjoy a shady spot on the terrace during summer.

We were lucky to complete our walk before the heavens opened and by the time we reached Au Pear there was no possibility of eating on the terrace due to the rain. Besides, the Ornamental Pears had dropped all their leaves for winter. I can imagine a leafy terrace bathed in dappled sunlight on a future visit but this visit called for a table inside.

Muff told us the story of how the restaurant evolved from a house among the vines to it's present manifestation. It's a large and airy, light-filled room with rustic touches, a chunky timber bar at one end and pears. Lots of pears.

I decided to stick with the french theme and order the rabbit ravioli in chicken ginger broth with broad beans and cauliflower. The broth was very flavoursome but the ravioli itself was a little bland to my taste. I requested some parmesan cheese to add a bit of zing.

We each ordered a salad of roast beetroot, feta and dukkah which was fresh and tasty, and I was very tempted by the almond pear cider bread with tapenade and herbed labne. It was either the bread or dessert later. Dessert won this time but I'll go back and try the bread one day when the terrace is bathed in dappled sunlight.

Still of a mind to follow the theme, I chose the wine poached pear for dessert. It came with house-made mint ice cream and a chocolate and hazelnut 'soil'. The 'soil' was the texture of soft biscuit crumbs and very luscious.